2008 Dodge Challenger Review

Specifications

From the moment I saw Dodge’s Challenger concept car sitting on the stage at the 2006 North American International Auto Show, I knew deep down that they just had to build it. Judging by the reaction from the crowd at its unveiling, I can assume that I wasn’t the only one who had that opinion. NAIAS came and went, and indeed Chrysler gave the Challenger the green light. Anticipation for the car built, and so too did the price of oil and concerns over Chrysler’s financial state. But they stuck to their guns, and three years later the Challenger is now here.

Sitting on a long, wide paved stretch of asphalt at Chrysler’s Chelsea proving grounds, the Challenger looks positively badass. It’s a dead ringer for the concept, painted Hemi Orange with fat, black stripes, tensed fenders, and broad pillars. There’s no dilution of the lines and nothing watered down. Only the six-shooter LED headlamps and the neon glow tail lamps are different. After the flack it took for reincarnating the Charger as a sedan, Dodge stuck a little closer to the history books with this one. From the narrow rectangular exhaust tips and the polished chrome fuel filler cap to its matte black tail lamp surrounds, the details are authentic. So serious is Dodge about making the Challenger convey the emotion of the original that they’ve done away with the Dodge crosshair grille, a design cue that’s common amongst all Dodges, big and small.

The first thing that a lot of people want to do with the Challenger SRT8 is pull a smoky burnout, followed by a hard launch into a quarter mile sprint. And who’s to blame them? It’s not just a matter of styling or emotion, it’s because, as an SRT8 car, it’s just the natural thing to do.

With its big, orange-block 6.1-liter HEMI V8 it has the power to liquefy its tires. It’s more than just a pony car, packing 425 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque. And though it might be a bit short on cubic inches compared to the original ‘70 Challenger Hemi, it’s still mighty quick. Sixty mph is fired off in 5.0 seconds, which is more or less what the original car did. The all-American yardstick that is the quarter mile is dispatched in the low to mid 13s (also very much like what the original car did), and because the Challenger SRT8’s top-speed is unlimited, unlike its other SRT8 brethren, it’ll nearly hit 170 mph. If that sort of performance doesn’t get your heart thumping, then you really ought to go see a doctor soon.

Getting the SRT8 to produce these figures is no harder than operating a payphone. Just push the ESP off button (which, for the record doesn’t turn the system completely off) and proceed to swiftly put pedal to metal. The 420 lb-ft of torque lifts the nose, the tail squats, and like a bullet you’re off with little wheelspin. The standard five-speed automatic means that there’s no clutch to worry about, and shifts are satisfyingly quick, plus you can toggle through the gears with the AutoStick function. While there’s a lot of excitement over the fact that a six-speed manual will be on the way for model year ‘09 as a part of the Track Pak, designed specifically for the drag strip, the automatic works just fine.

There is much more - so much more - to the Challenger SRT8 than pulling burnouts and the quarter mile, though. This is a car that doesn’t cower at the thought of heading onto a winding road once you’ve finished cleaning up at the strip.


But during my test, I manage to one-up a twisty winding road for pure performance, and get a chance to play with the Challenger on a closed course, out of reach of the long arm of the Law. Out here, weaving between cones, the Challenger feels a little softer than its other LX cousin despite having a 4-inch segment surgically removed from its midsection; it has a smidgen more body roll, but it still corners mighty flatly considering it weighs nearly 4,140 lbs. Press hard, and there’s always enough power to light up those rear gumballs. Do it progressively and you’ll get a bit of power-on oversteer, but you’ll have to be talented as you can never really turn off the stability control and play, though there’s a bit of wiggle room. You can thank the US government’s pending stability control laws for that one. Still, the fact that the Challenger, this bluntly shaped, in-your-face, V8-powered street rod can do this is jaw-droppingly impressive. Challengers can be ordered with either Goodyear Eagle F-1 Supercar rubber (as tested) or RS-As; I suggest you order the former and bite the bullet, either garaging the car in the winter or buying snows (not so good for residual values, I might imagine).


In a more open setting the Challenger has room to breathe. You would never think that something as cool looking as this could be as comfortable, but indeed it is. Between the 20-inch wheels, 40-profile tires and performance setup, Dodge has managed to find a great deal of cushioning; the ride eats up bumps quite well, better, in fact, than its LX brethren. The seats might look like they’ve been modeled after industrial strength vice grips, but their hold on your torso is supportive, effective in combating g-forces, and they won’t pinch wider bodies. Combined with a trunk that’s amply sized, and a back seat that’s more than just for kids, the Challenger makes a case for itself that most other sports coupes with as much power and as many seats can’t.

And then, only after getting out of the car, having had a blast and wearing a grin from ear to ear, it might just strike you that the Challenger only resembles the original in appearance and straight line performance. There’s no axle hop or jiggle over rough sections because of its Mercedes-style fully independent multi-link rear suspension. After repeated hard stops, the brakes don’t go all mushy, pedal to the floor, fatigued and overheated from fade. Its giant Brembos have plenty of bite, the power to counter the scary speeds it is capable of achieving, and the brains to prime themselves for fast action when pulling over 0.6 lateral Gs. Even things that we now take for granted, such as a modern car’s flex-free structure that’s devoid of squeaks and rattles, or consistently perfect body panels and narrow gaps have been designed into the new Challenger; things that were never considered when the original was being built. As far as modern muscle goes, the Challenger is king; it captures the glory but leaves the less appealing bits of classic motoring in the past.

Because the target audience of the new Challenger is approximately the target age of the original car, plus those who lived during the muscle car era, it’s neither short on luxury nor comfort features. You can get MyGig with nav and an on-board hard drive, uConnect Bluetooth connectivity, plus as a first on any Chrysler product, pushbutton start with a proximity key. There’s also a very loud 13-speaker Kicker high-performance stereo system, for when you grow weary of the V8’s rumble (which no self-respecting muscle car fan will). Leather and suede-trimmed seats come standard, and there’s no shortage of soft-touch plastics. It might be a bit dark and the simple, driver-oriented package might not draw oohs and aahs like the exterior, but it’s well finished and very functional.

In its introductory year, Dodge will build just 6,400 SRT8s, most of which were pre-sold for $40,995; the only options being a choice of color (orange, silver, black), power sunroof at $950 and MyGig for $890. That’s a very reasonable price for what is a rather good vehicle. When the Challenger enters model year ‘09, the lineup will grow to include V6 and 5.7-liter HEMI V8-powered engines as well as the SRT8.

Some people have questioned Dodge on whether or not bringing back a car like the Challenger, a symbol of power and speed (and consumption) is a good idea, and while it may not seem to make sense when thinking of it with your green glasses on, or from a purely practical perspective, it’s important to remember that every brand needs a beacon of hope, a halo car which people look up to in the showroom. After all, you can’t put a price on memories, especially memories like these.